Maritime New Zealand is the regulator of the recreational boating sector and responsible for boating safety. Their main objective is to encourage recreational vessel users to wear lifejackets, every time. If worn every time, lifejackets would have a high likelihood of preventing a fatality in 66% of accidents.

Over the last three years, the ‘Get It On Or It’s No Good’ campaign had significantly increased the percentage of boaties carrying and wearing lifejackets, but following an initial decline in drownings, the summer of 2014/15 saw an increase to 29 drownings. Something wasn’t working, particularly to wear lifejackets every time, the latest mobile targeting was used to find this most resistant audience and integrate safety into the critical behaviour change moment – when they are out on the water.

People get their phones out while on the water and with a location-based mobile targeting system, it was now possible to find them at this critical moment and deliver them a truly relevant message.

Location-based targeting isn’t new. But creating an off-shore geo-location targeting zone around a country’s entire coastline was a world-first. This meant that every time a boatie left shore, anywhere in New Zealand, they would be served the ads.

Previously impossible levels of ubiquity and salience were reached with the target audience. Additionally, attitudes were shifted and behaviour changed. As a result, lifejacket wearing increased 10%. And despite a major increase in the number of New Zealanders on the water, the number of vessel-related fatalities decreased from 29 to 8 over the summer period, saving New Zealand $84,630,000.